Sweden’s need to scale up its total defense capabilities is urgent. But scaling up faster also means managing more complexity. A new professorship at the Stockholm School of Economics (SSE), made possible through funding from the defense and security company Saab, will investigate how organizations can steer such growth effectively, both within and across institutional boundaries.

This initiative comes at a particularly opportune time as Sweden prepares for a significant expansion of its defense spending. In response to the deteriorating security situation in Europe, all parliamentary parties have agreed to invest an additional SEK 300 billion in military and civil defense. The agreement is designed to meet NATO’s new expectations that member states commit 5 percent of GDP to defense, including both military and civilian components. The new professorship will be held by professor Kalle Kraus.  

“Managing tensions between change and stability”

“Scaling up a country’s defense is not like normal organizational growth. It involves managing tensions between change and stability, urgency and long-term planning. That’s where control systems can either help or hinder”, says Kalle Kraus, Saab Chair in Business Administration.

Kraus’ research will focus on management control systems – formal tools like budgets and performance targets, as well as informal controls such as shared norms – that help organizations align their actions with strategic goals. In the context of total defense, this involves not just individual agencies or companies, but entire networks of public and private actors working together under time pressure and high uncertainty.

Among other things, Kraus plans to study how individual organizations connected to total defense, such as municipalities, government agencies and firms, can redesign their control systems to better support rapid capacity-building. The focus will be on shifting from risk-averse, budget-focused systems to ones that encourage innovation, coordination, and results.

“Trust, clear roles, and shared goals are essential when multiple actors depend on each other. But these things don’t just happen. You need control systems that support them”, says Kraus.

Tools and insights for more effective total defense scaling

By identifying how management control can support both internal transformation and external collaboration, the professorship aims to provide tools and insights for more effective total defense scaling.

The new chair is tied to SSE’s newly launched Center for Security and Resilience, which conducts research on how democracies like Sweden can better manage risks, from cyberattacks and supply‑chain breakdowns to geopolitical crises and pandemics. The initiative reflects the Stockholm School of Economics’ commitment to addressing urgent challenges within total defence through collaboration with key actors in the public and private sectors.

“The security situation today calls for new knowledge and new forms of cooperation between academia, government and industry. With this professorship, we are investing in long-term, practice-oriented research that can strengthen Sweden’s resilience in concrete ways,” says Lars Strannegård, President of the Stockholm School of Economics.

For more information, please contact:

Kalle Kraus
Saab Chair in Business Administration
Email: kalle.kraus@hhs.se
Tel: 070-525 43 53

About the Stockholm School of Economics

The Stockholm School of Economics is rated as a top business school in the Nordic and Baltic countries and enjoys a strong international reputation. World-class research forms the foundation of our educational offering, which includes bachelor, master, PhD, MBA, and Executive Education programs. Our programs are developed in close cooperation with the business and research communities, providing graduates substantial potential to attain leading positions in companies and other organizations. 

The School is accredited by EQUIS, certifying that all of its principal activities – teaching as well as research – maintain the highest international standards. The Stockholm School of Economics is also the only Swedish member institution of CEMS and PIM, which are collaborations between top business schools worldwide, contributing to the level of quality for which our school is known. 

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